The official Final Fantasy XI Test Server has been updated. In addition to previous updates to Salvage and Bard songs, several new things are being adjusted. A number of the new two-hour abilities, including Warrior's and Summoner's, previously released are being reworked to improve their overall function. Likewise, the two-hour abilities Alexander and Embrava, associated with Summoner and Scholar, respectively, are being adjusted, reducing their overall potency to balance their use.

Let us know what you think of these upcoming changes over on the ZAM forums!

[dev1135] New Special Job Abilities

New special job abilities will be introduced.* These special abilities will not share the same recast time as previous ones. * The recast time will be decreased from two hours to one. * The abilities displayed with a gray background have not been included in the Octber 26 test server update.

Job

Ability Name

Effect

Warrior

WAR SP 2

Grants a 100% chance of activating Double Attack.

Monk

-

-

White Mage

Asylum

Grants a powerful resistance to enfeebling magic and Dispel.

Black Mage

Subtle Sorcery

Decreases enmity generated by magic and increases magic accuracy.

Red Mage

-

-

Thief

-

-

Paladin

-

-

Dark Knight

Soul Enslavement

Auto-attacks absorb target's TP.

Beastmaster

-

-

Bard

-

-

Ranger

-

-

Samurai

Yaegasumi

Evades all special attacks that deal physical or magic damage.Enhances the potency of your next weapon skill every time you evade a special attack.

Ninja

-

-

Dragoon

-

-

Summoner

Astral Conduit

Eliminates recast times for Blood Pacts and fully restores MP upon activation.

Blue Mage

Unbridled Wisdom

Allows unlimited casting of blue magic spells that use Unbridled Learning. Additionally, Unbridled Learning will have no recast time.

Corsair

-

-

Puppetmaster

Heady Artifice

Allows automatons to use a special ability that varies by head.Harlequin Head: Mighty StrikesValoredge Head: InvisibleSharpshot Head: Eagle Eye ShotStormwaker Head: ChainspellSoulsoother Head: Benediction (will only affect the automaton and members of its master's party)Spiritreaver Head: Manafont

Dancer

Grand Pas

Gives five finishing moves, resets flourish recast timers, and eliminates the cost of finishing moves. Effect ends either when its duration expires or is used three times.

Scholar

Caper Emissarius

Transfers the whole party's enmity to a party member of your choice.

* Abilities implemented on the test server have provisional names, help text, and graphical effects. Actual effects of these abilities may be changed or adjusted.

[dev1137] Salvage Battlefield Expansion

* The following content is in development. Specific details may differ from the release version.

This battlefield expansion is aimed at seasoned adventurers and many of the rules are based on those of previous Salvage content. The method by which Pathos of Alzadaal restrictions can be removed, however, has been modified.

Differences from Previous Salvage Content

Entry is restricted to adventurers level 96 and above.

Pathos of Alzadaal restrictions may no longer be removed by imbued items, but by the following methods:

Defeating certain monsters in specified areas will randomly remove a Pathos of Alzadaal restriction from participants.

Examining the Runic Lamps within each remnant will allow players to remove restrictions of their choice.

* Runic Lamps will be available near remnant entrances and teleport exits.

* The chance for removing restrictions, and which monsters' defeat are capable of removing restrictions, are still under development.

Test Server Settings

Participants may enter battlefields alone.

Remnants Permits will not be required for entry.

No time restrictions will be placed on battlefield reentry.

Only the Zhaylom and Arrapago Remnants are available for entry at present.

The placement and strength of enemies, as well as items obtainable, may differ from the release version.

Boss enemies are still under development, and will be replaced with substitute enemies.

Notorious monsters that only spawn under certain conditions will not be introduced.

[dev1138] Bard Job Adjustments

The following bard songs have been changed from affecting a single target party member to affecting all party members in an area of effect centered on the caster, and their casting time has been changed from four to eight seconds.

[dev1139] Job Ability Adjustments: Perfect Defense / Tabula Rasa

The job abilities below have been adjusted in the following ways:

Summoner

Alexander's Perfect Defense

Effect duration will be reduced from ninety seconds to thirty seconds plus an additional second for every twenty points of one's summoning magic skill. For example, with a summoning magic skill value of 600, the ability's effect duration would be a maximum of sixty seconds (the base thirty seconds plus thirty more seconds for one's skill value).

Scholar

Embrava (castable only while Tabula Rasa is in effect)

Effect duration will be reduced from five minutes to ninety seconds.

Haste potency will increase by 1% for every twenty points of one's enhancing magic skill instead of for every fifteen points. Therefore, an enhancing magic skill value of 500 will increase the potency of haste by a maximum of 25%

Embrava will grant the effect of Refresh instead of Regain. The value of the effect, however, will remain the same.

Modifications will be made to the following battle systems to accommodate the above job ability adjustments.

Nyzul Isle Uncharted Area Survey

The number of astraria needed to exchange for equipment has been lowered from twenty-five to five.*The number of astraria already in one's possession will be divided by five, with the remainder disregarded.

Astraria in Possession Before Implementation

Astraria in Possession After Implementation

0～4

→

0

5～9

→

1

10～14

→

2

15～19

→

3

20～24

→

4

25

→

5

Legion

Enemies' HP will be reduced by ten percent.

Einherjar

The enemy Odin that appears in Odin's Chamber II will have its HP reduced by ten to fifteen percent.